United Inn in Salina will be shut down, demolished

Salina, NY -- The United Inn on Buckley Road in Salina will shut down by the end of the month and be torn down in the next two months, the general manager said.

The hotel, with 144 rooms, is owned by Panoramic Properties, part of India-based Panoramic Universal Limited. The company is considering other development possibilities for the site, said General Manager Edwin Windschauer.

Windschauer said workers at the hotel got the news today and have been calling other hotels in the area to try to find spaces for people who had reservations at the United Inn.

"We have been working closely with others hotels to see if they can help us out," he said.

He said Panoramic Properties was looking at "several development ideas."

"I think they want to build another hotel," said Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra.

A demolition contractor contacted the town recently to begin the process of applying for a demolition permit, said George Keeler, interim director of planning and development.

He said the contractor told him the owners plan to rebuild on the site, but didn't know how soon and didn't want to be liable for an empty building in the meantime.

The building went up in 1960 and because of its age will have to be surveyed for asbestos and get a state OK before the town can issue a permit, Keeler said.